


8 letters

by socially_awkward_di



Category: Pentagon (Korea Band)
Genre: Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Letters, M/M, Slow Burn, a bit of angst, wooyu
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:08:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 12,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23736634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/socially_awkward_di/pseuds/socially_awkward_di
Summary: Wooseok found out about penfriends and decided to find someone on the Internet. One person caught his attention right away. But will he reply?
Relationships: Adachi Yuto/Jung Wooseok
Comments: 15
Kudos: 45





	1. New Beginnings - NEFFEX

**Author's Note:**

> Good time of the day ^-^
> 
> The title inspired by Why don't we - 8 letters

‘Okay, and the last thing for today: if you really want to improve your language skills try finding a penpal. There are many websites and apps for that. That’s not mandatory but I think it might help. That’s it, you know your homework. The lesson is over,’ teacher Min wiped off the board and having collected all her things left the classroom. 

Previously quiet it suddenly erupted with noises as young boys and girls started discussing something, playing games, throwing stuff at each other, eating lunch or drawing on their desks. No-one seemed to have taken interest in teacher Min’s words. No-one, apart from Wooseok. For some reason her words stuck with him. He wasn’t that much into languages; however, the prospect of finding a new foreign friend intrigued him. 

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

Once at home, Wooseok practically ran to his bedroom and turned on the pc. 

‘Seokie, do you want to have lunch now?’ His mother asked peeking into the room.

Still in his uniform Wooseok glanced at her and said quickly:

‘No, thanks, mum. Maybe a bit later.’

‘Is everything okay at school?’ She opened the door a bit wider.

‘Yeah, all good. I’ll tell you more during lunch. I have some urgent business right now.’

‘Oh, okay. Won’t disturb you then, mister,’ she smiled and left, closing the door.

When the browser finally opened Wooseok quickly typed in «how to find a penpal», clicked «search» and started looking through dozens of websites. One seemed simple and promising enough. The main idea was to create an avatar, choose languages you were interested in as well as your hobbies and interests. All that was left was to choose someone with whom you had similar preferences and target languages.

So Wooseok started setting up his profile. The nickname would be aiSOCKetz because that sounded cool. Then interests; searching through all the different variants Jung decided to go with: films, pets, music, dancing, fashion, anime, food, games, humour and some other points. With the age and sex set, the last thing was to fill in the languages. That turned out to be the hardest part. On the one hand, Wooseok was interested in all the languages in the world because being able to communicate with as many people as possible is a very cool feeling but on the other hand, he had so much on his plate with school and all, that learning something as complicated as a new language would be a problem. That’s why he only wrote that he was a native speak of Korean and was interested in learning Japanese, technically it was true. 

With all that out of the way he started looking through various profiles trying to find someone with whom he shared the most interests. There were a couple of potential candidates, who had 3-4 similar hobbies, but one stood out the most — YOU2. Not only the guy was his age, almost all of their interests were mutual and he was from Japan but he also was interested in Korean and his level was marked as intermediate which meant they could communicate more or less freely. The only problem was that the guy last logged in three days ago. But you never know till you try, right? So he decided to write him a letter anyway. 

Wooseok wrote a generic introductory letter to all the people he liked. With YOU2’s he decided to be a bit more creative and actually think about what he was writing. Why? He just had a gut feeling that something would happen. Or not, that was always a possibility. 

That was the letter Wooseok came up with:

_From: aiSOCKetz  
To: YOU2_

_こんにちは!_

_My name is Wooseok but you can call me whatever. I’m looking for some pen-friends because I hardly have any irl friends. Wow, that makes me sound lame. However, I’ve stumbled upon your profile and we seem to have a lot of interests in common so I thought we might find a few topics to discuss._

_Oh, actually, I don’t learn-learn Japanese if you know what I mean but I’ll gladly help you with your Korean._

_Okay, let me ask you some questions now. Do you have any pets? If yes, whom do you have? If not, whom would you like to get?_

_As for me, well, I’m a huge animal person so dogs, birds, hamsters — you name it, I’ll love them and treat as family members. However, I have the biggest soft spot for cats. There’s something about them: their adorable whiskers, boop-able little noses and oh so soft and pink paws. Omg, just writing about it made me want to cuddle one >_< Unfortunately, I don’t have a cat. Yet. Once I’m living on my own — I’m adopting at least two cats and no-one can stop me. _

_Oh, sorry for this flood of unnecessary information but I get easily carried away when talking about stuff I like._

_Okay, won’t bother you anymore._

_I’ll be waiting for you reply._

_Your awkward cat-lover,_

_aiSOCKetz_

After re-reading the letter a couple of times, making some minor changes here and there and correcting typos (at least those he managed to spot) Wooseok finally clicked the «send» button. He let out a sigh of relief, for some reason he really wanted to impress this guy and receive a reply from him, so writing the letter was a bit nerve-racking. 

‘SEOKIE! IT’S LATE ALREADY! COME — EAT,’ his mother shouted from the kitchen.

 _’Wow, I did take my time writing all that,’_ he noted looking at the old clock he had on his table. Closing all the tabs Wooseok finally decided to eat his lunch. 

As for the penfriend, the waiting game began.


	2. I'm Waiting For You - Alecia Elliott

First thing in the morning Wooseok turned on the computer to see whether someone had replied to his letters or not. To his surprise, he saw 5+ next to the «received» section: a few letters were from strangers, the rest — from some of the people he’d messaged. 

His face fell when he noticed there was no letter from YOU2.

_’Okay, maybe, he has something important to do so he can’t check his computer,_ Wooseok tried persuading himself. _’Anyway, I better read the replies.’_

_From: Crying_in_the_Corner  
To: aiSOCKetz_

_Hi!_

_Thank you for the letter. You seem to be a very cool dude. Wooseok is an awesome name, by the way!_

_You asked about music. Well, I’m a huge fan of 5sos, do you know them? I would definitely recommend checking their songs out. I also listen to Harry Styles and Fall Out Boy._

_You like pets? I have 6 cats and I love them all!_

_Okay, I need to finish this monologue thing I’m working on right now. I’ll be waiting for your song recommendations._

_Take care,_

_Peace_

Recommending songs? Easy. Without further ado Wooseok wrote a reply and clicked «send».

_From: instinct_of_self_destruction  
To: aiSOCKetz_

_Hello,_

_I’m not very good at this whole internet thing but I guess I’ll give it a try anyway._

_Yeah, I like music a lot. Also I like looking at different pictures, places, people and other stuff — helps me find inspiration for drawings and such. As for the music, well, I like Corbyn and Kim Jeong_uk a lot. They are a huge source of inspiration for me so maybe you’ll give them a listen too._

_Well, tell me more about your hobbies, please._

_Have a good day!_

_’Oh, wow, they draw?! I should definitely ask them to show me some of their works one day,’_ he smiled to himself and proceeded writing the reply. 

He looked through the rest of the letters but almost all of them turned out to be either dating requests or something in a language he couldn’t understand. After that he looked at the message he’d sent to YOU2 with the hope to see that the person at least read it but alas it was «delivered» but not «read». 

Why does he even care that much? It’s just him and this YOU2 shared so many interests that it would be a shame to miss an opportunity of befriending him. 

Then it was breakfast time and another lonely day at school. In the evening he checked the inbox again but didn’t find what he was hoping for.

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

Days went by, Wooseok continued to write short letters to Crying_in_the_Corner and instinct_of_self_destruction discovering new artists, songs, getting to know them better. He also looked at YOU2’s profile daily — it became somewhat of a routine for him but every time it was just «delivered» until one evening when Wooseok was about to go to sleep something told him to look at his page one last time and oh miracle — it was no longer «delivered» but «read».


	3. New Horizons - Flyleaf

_To: aiSOCKetz  
From: YOU2_

_Good time of the day,_

_I’m terribly sorry for not answering for such a long time. I had a very tough week at school. Sorry, I’m rambling. I don’t even know if you’ll read this but I think it would be rude of me not to reply at all._

_My name is Yuto. Nice to meet you, Wooseok. It’s very kind of you to offer me help with Korean. Thank you very much. If you want me to teach you some Japanese — just ask. I’m not a great teacher but I’ll try my best ^-^_

_Answering your question, yes, I have pets. A cat and a little puppy. I love animals a lot too! When you talked about cats I smiled, it was very cute! I hope you’ll have a lovely cat or two soon._

_We have so many interests in common. To be honest, you are the first person who likes almost all the things that I do on this website. Oh, I’m writing unnecessary information again. Sorry._

_Do you play any musical instruments? I’m trying to teach myself how to play the guitar but it’s not easy at all but I’ll keep trying._

_Once again I’m sorry for not answering. I won’t do that again if you reply to me._

_I hope you are having a great day._

ʸᵘᵗᵒ

When Wooseok saw the letter from YOU2 early in the morning, believe me, he clicked faster than people who are trying to get a ticket for a k-pop concert. And it turned out to be such a sweet message too! No matter what, Wooseok decided to himself, that day would be a lucky one for him. He had the urge to reply right then and there but the rational part, that was telling him to do that after school, won. 

Surprisingly but Wooseok was in such a good mood during all the lessons, he even managed to get a good mark while answering during History. When he came home he scooted straight to his room, without even bothering to take his uniform off, and started typing the answer.

_To: YOU2  
From: aiSOCKetz_

_HELLO!_

_I’m so thankful for your reply. To be honest, I was waiting for it so much, don’t get me wrong — it’s just you don’t come across such interesting people every day. Anyway, nice to meet you too, Yuto. Is that why you have such a username? That’s clever. Mine gets more and more lame the longer I look at it :/_

_Wow, you have a puppy AND a cat?! I’m envious! Ahah, not really xd but I’d love to see them one day._

_Oh, you are teaching yourself how to play the guitar?! This is awesome! I wish you luck! If you need any help along the way, maybe I can give you some tips. I’m not a huge pro but I can play the violin and the guitar hehehe_

_I like writing lyrics too. Today, for example, I came up with a song about Pringles! Actually, now that I’ve typed this it doesn’t sound as cool… Sometimes I help writing rap parts for my hyungs from school. They perform during school concerts and such (i hope you don’t think I’m bragging. My lyrics are mediocre at best)._

_Now that we’ve started talking I want to ask you so many questions! But I don’t want to overwhelm you either so I better pick something good…Let me think, hm, you said you like games, what kind of games? Online ones or something like visual novels or indie horrors? Also what food do you like? Have you ever tried anything Korean?_

_As for me, well, I spend way too much time in online games XD I guess my eye-bags and terrible posture make it even more obvious, but I just can’t stop until I win! Although sometimes it’s nice to play something chill._

_Food is everything! I don’t like cucumbers but other than that, you put it on my plate — I eat it! I also like drinking milk (maybe that’s why I’m the tallest one at school :/ )_

_Okay, I better stop here. I hope the letter is not too long. Once again thank you for your reply and I’ll be patiently waiting for your next one._

_Your local «pro»-gamer,_

_aiSOCKetz_

After sending the letter Wooseok leaned back and let out an audible sigh:

‘Waaa-h’ he couldn’t get a smile off of his face. 

There was a short knock on the door and his mother entered the room. Wooseok hardly had any time to compose himself and pretend he wasn’t sitting there smiling like an idiot while looking at a blank screen.

‘Someone is in a good mood?’ Mrs. Jung said with a smirk.

Wooseok blushed:

‘Yea-a-h.’

‘Is there a reason?’

‘I…got a good mark today,’ he remembered quickly.

‘Really? Well, you deserve a hearty meal then! Will you deign to come down and eat your lunch, sir? Or do I have to shout every time now?’ She asked teasingly. 

Wooseok bit his lip. That was awkward.

‘I’m sorry, mum. Yes, I’ll go now and I promise from today on I’ll eat first and then do my stuff.’

She came closer and ruffled his hair:

‘Okay, I’ll take you at your word. Now let’s go, your sister is waiting too.’

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚  


In the evening he checked the inbox but the reply wasn’t there yet. However, his letter was marked as «read». Pleased with this information Wooseok got in bed and drifted to sleep.


	4. Nice To Meet Ya - Niall Horan

First thing in the morning Wooseok turned on the pc and oh miracle found a letter from Yuto.

_To: aiSOCKetz_  
_From: YOU2_

_Good time of the day ^-^_

_Thank you very much for your long letter. It was a pleasure reading it. You don’t like your username? I think it’s very interesting. Do you love socks? I mean, in Japanese ai could be translated as love so…Sorry, if I’m wrong._

_You are so talented! You can play all those instruments and you write lyrics too?! That’s incredible._  
_I do sometimes write songs but I haven’t posted them anywhere yet. I think I need to get better before showing them to anyone._

_Also it’s okay, you can ask me as many questions as you want — I’ll do my best to answer them all._

_Well, yes, I like games a lot but I mostly play console ones, like Pokemon, Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts and so on. Sometimes I play online shooters or online racing games but I’m not very good at them 😅 I actually have a big Pikachu plushie sitting in my room ^-^ And to tell the truth, I’m very easily scared so I hate horror films, games, stories and all that. My friends once played a trick on me and well…it ended with a broken door handle so yeah, no horrors for me._

_Food?…I like milk too! Banana or strawberry milk is superior though. Pasta is one of my most favourite foods. Every time we go out somewhere with my friends I order spaghetti or carbonara. This is such a funny word to pronounce: car-bo-na-ra! Sounds like sayonara 😁 Though I’m not very good with spices I like Korean food a lot. It just tastes different and I’d love to try authentic Korean dishes one day._

_Funny but I’m the tallest one in my group of friends too! If you don’t mind me asking, what do you look like? There is a vague image of your appearance in my head but it would be nice to have some actual details. Of course you can skip this if you feel uncomfortable._

_What music have you been listening to recently? Do you like travelling? If yes where would you like to go?_

_Thank you once again for the letter. I’ll be anticipating your next one._

_I hope you are having a great day,_

ʸᵘᵗᵒ

It was pleasing to see that Yuto took his time writing the letters. He clearly was interested in this exchange even if it took him a long time to come up with a reply, his Korean was on a very high level but he wasn’t a native speaker nonetheless. He asked some good questions too. Music? Travelling? Wooseok needed to think everything over and decide what was worth mentioning and what wasn’t. That being one of the peculiarities of letter exchanging: if you want to make a point — you need to make a point and try to be as clear about what you mean as possible. It’s unlikely that you’ll write another letter with afterthoughts or that you’ll suddenly return to the topic once it’d been discussed. That’s why Wooseok closed the tab, turned the computer off and went downstairs to have his breakfast. Luckily it was Saturday so he could listen to some relaxing songs and think, think, think. Lately the boy was contemplating a lot of things at once and his mind needed some clearing. 

  
ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

  
_’Pikachu? He has a Pikachu plushie in his room? That’s such a cute detail,’_ Wooseok smiled and looked around his own «quarters», he had figurines of his favourite anime characters carefully placed on the shelves. Considering how much the boy loathed cleaning the shelves were in perfect condition — not a single speck of dust on them. On the walls hung some posters he got from the cinema after the screening was over. All in all the room was nothing special but it was _his_ and everything in it made Wooseok happy. However, his absolute favourite spot was on the bed by the window: he could look at sky day and night or watch neighbours and strangers walk past their house and imagine what their stories were, why was this young woman in such a hurry, why was that boy crying — it was only up to him to decide. Wooseok was a hopeless romantic even if he didn’t want to admit it, not even to himself. And so he had an idea — why not give Yuto one song recommendation in every letter? But it won’t be just any random track, he would pick either the title or the lyrics of the song to convey his emotions. Even if Yuto doesn’t pick up on that — Wooseok would still know it was there. So he got up from the bed and moved towards the computer thinking of what he is going to say tonight.

_To: YOU2_  
_From: aiSOCKetz_

_Hello Yuto-yah!_

_Wow, now I’m looking at my username in a new light! At first I intended for it to be a pun like «eye sockets» plus Seok kind of sounds like a sock and then z is because I’m edgy and not basic. But I like your version better! Who doesn’t like socks though? They are awesome! Especially because in school with its stupid uniform there is no room for creativity so I wear colourful mismatched socks 😈. It’s like my little secret from everyone: smart looking on the outside, Slam Dunk socks on the inside 😏 but now you know it so please don’t tell anyone._

_Please show me your songs or better — sing them to me! Whatever you say I’m sure they are good!_

_You don’t like spicy food? Well, once I made a bet that I’d have a spicy mukbang and…it didn’t go as planned, to say the least._

_To answer your questions, yes, I LOVE travelling! But I haven’t been anywhere outside Korea. Hopefully, one day I’ll travel the world with people I love. Now I’m mostly travelling with my dad, we go camping and fishing and we talk a lot. There is one spot near the beach and I always imagine how I’ll come there with a friend or friends but alas I’m not the most popular guy in class :’)_

_I was trying to describe myself but based on those descriptions I either look like a giant baby or like a big scary beanstalk. I found out that this app lets you attach photos so I’ll just send two. I hope you won’t have nightmares 0_o_

_Now my questions :) What do you look like? Milk or cereal first? If you got a secret recipe for the best donuts ever, would you share it with someone or would you keep it for yourself? How would you describe the perfect donut?_

_Have a great day, Yuto-yah, I’m looking forward to your next letter (of course you could be blinded by my killer looks for which I apologise in advance hehe)_

_Your forever alone penpal,_

_aiSOCKetz_

_Now playing: Niall Horan - Nice To Meet Ya_


	5. At Your Side - The Corrs

_To: aiSOCKetz_

_From: YOU2_

_Good time of the day ^-^_

_I really don’t know what to say — you look so cool and cute. Like big kind bear (that was a compliment). I guess it would be only fair if I shared a picture of myself too. I’m sorry I don’t really take selfies and I was a bit shy posing for those, hope you don’t mind._

_Oh, I like travelling too but I also haven’t been anywhere outside Japan. Maybe…one day you’ll come visit? I’d love to come to Korea too. No-no, I’m getting ahead of myself._

_I don’t believe you don’t have friends, it’s impossible! You are so funny and you are talented and passionate about what you do. Can I please be your friend?_

_What are those questions though? ahahah Cereal or milk first? Well…cereal? I also drink milk while eating cereal with milk hhihi Did I pass the test?_

_How would I describe a perfect donut? Hmm, not too greasy, probably a whole donut, chocolate frosted with a strawberry filling. Okay, now I really want one! What have you done, Wooseokie?! As for the recipe, hmm, I’m a mediocre cook anyway and since I know your sock secret, again it would be fair, if I shared it with you ^-^ Let’s make the best donuts ever and open a shop together!_

_What would you do if you wanted to become an artist, but someone told you that you're not talented enough? What super powers would you like to have?_

_Sorry if this letter is a bit small, I really wanted to finish it before working on this terrible assignment (who thought giving 50 written questions for the history class due in two weeks was a good idea :/)_

_I hope you are having a great day,_

ʸᵘᵗᵒ

_P. S. Your song recommendation was great!_

Wooseok opened the letter and saw that there were two files attached. _He probably sent me his pics,_ the boy grinned and decided to look at them last — a small (big) treat at the end of the message.

He couldn’t help but smile every time he was reading Yuto’s letters but this time was special for multiple reasons:

  1. DID HE REALLY SAY HE WAS COOL CUTE AND LOOKED LIKE A KIND BEAR?! 
  2. Why was he so cute making plans for the both of them to visit each other?
  3. DID HE ASK HIM TO BE HIS FRIEND?!?!?!?



…

n. DID HE SAY HE WOULD SHARE A RECIPE WITH HIM AND HE WANTS TO OPEN A SHOP TOGETHER?!??! 

And then the photos. Because Wooseok was extra af, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath and clicked on the first image. When he opened his eyes again he almost choke on the air he was holding — the boy was everything Wooseok could ever imagine in a perfect human being and more. His eyes, face, hands, hair, lips — everything was just perfect.

Maybe, just maybe Wooseok was slowly developing a crush on Yuto since the day they started exchanging letters. Now, looking at the person with whom he was talking this entire time, he suddenly realised that he indeed…liked him. That was a lot to process so Seok closed the tab and plumped himself on the bed.

_Do I really like him? Or am I just desperate for a friend? Is he seeing someone right now? Is he interested in boys in the first place? How do I ask all that and don’t look too obvious?_ He groaned and covered his face with a pillow. A muffled scream could be heard. _Wooseok, you are pathetic, you know that? Should I take another quick look at the photos though? Just to make sure I’m not attracted to him in **that** way._ He got up and opened the letter again. Trying not to stare too much (he didn’t want to look like a creep) he glanced at the pictures. Yup, Yuto was still there and he was still cute and hot af. Then Wooseok opened selfies that he’d sent himself. _Not gonna lie but we’d look cute together_ , the second this thought occurred in his head he was ready to slap himself. What was he thinking?! 

After internal screaming, gay panicking and confusion Wooseok finally wrote a reply.

_To: YOU2_

_From: aiSOCKetz_

_HI YUTO!_

_WOW, I had an image of you in my head but reality hit me on the head hard — you are so cool! Also do you really want to have me as your friend?_ 🥺 _Be careful as I’m very clingy and loud and all over the place. If the answer is still yes, then I want to be your friend so badly it hurts!_

_Reading about your plans for our future makes me warm inside, I always smile when reading your letters so please don’t stop. Also now that I’ve seen your face I want to meet you in person so badly :c I wanna hug you and share my anime collection with you and talk to you and all that stuff. Though your girlfriend or boyfriend probably wouldn’t be head over heels if this random dude from the internet started hanging out with you…_

_I’d like to inform you that user YOU2 passed the test of milk and cereal *hands you the certificate* *shakes your hand* However, it wouldn’t matter to me if you put cereal after pouring milk in the bowl because at the end of the day it’s just food and who cares how you like it._

_YOU WANT A STRAWBERRY FILLING?! I knew I befriended the right guy! Strawberries are like straws of the berry world — they are the base of everything. Oh, you know that strawberries and raspberries aren’t actually berries, I’ve looked it up on the internet. Wild._

_Yes, let’s open the best shop in the world and attract as many clients as we can! We’ll make so many people happy with our donuts! I can design all the different signs and decorations, you can play the guitar and compose a soundtrack for the shop!_

_Super power? Well, I want teleportation. I hate spending a lot of time on the bus or walking somewhere. Also that means that I’d be able to visit you wherever I wanted! And of course when I want to enjoy the ride I still can take a bus somewhere._

_Why are you asking that, Yuto-yah? Has someone told you anything about it? I myself want to become an artist and of course support means a lot and it boosts your will to do something but other people’s opinion should never stop you from pursuing what you want and love. So if you want to become an artist know that you have my full support and I’ll be your first fan and I’ll get all the exclusive merch and then when you are super famous — I’ll sell it and make a fortune! I know I’ve never even heard your voice but wouldn’t it be sick if we were in one group? Or in a duo? Waaa, that would be awesome!_

_How come this letter is humongous?! I’ll stop here. Tell me more about your day. How are you? What are you up to?_

_Your teleportation master,_

_aiSOCKetz_

_Now playing: The Corrs - At Your Side_


	6. A Whole New World - Aladdin

They’ve been sending each other letters daily for almost three months now. They would exchange stupid selfies or funny memes they found on the internet. Share insecurities and fears, talk about things they were passionate about and it felt as if they knew each other for years. Yuto was doubting his sexuality and Wooseok helped him understand that people were free to love whoever they wanted and that he himself was bisexual. He kept ending each of the letters with a song that complimented his thoughts. Thanks to that Wooseok discovered so many new artists and so many new songs. 

One evening lying in bed Wooseok got an idea and without any second thought he started typing the letter.

_To: YOU2  
From: aiSOCKetz_

_Yo Yu!_

_I know this is out-of-nowhere but do you maybe wanna share Skypes? We could video call each other and talk and I could also show you around my room and you could show me yours! And I’ll finally see Mont Blanc moving, not just the pictures. Of course we don’t have to turn on the web cams, it can be just a phone call. If you don’t want to do this at all it’s also fine. Plus we obviously will continue exchanging letters._

_Okay, that’s just a wild idea I got. No rush, take as much time as you need to decide._

_Your new Skype caller,_

_aiSOCKetz_

_Now playing: Aladdin - A Whole New World_

Minutes later he received a reply.

_To: aiSOCKetz  
From: YOU2_

_Hi Seokie ^-^_

_That’s a great idea! I’m still a bit shy when it comes to cameras but it would be awesome to hear your voice and see your face moving. Let’s try it, my Skype username is Yutam0n (I’m sorry I was really into Pokemon when I came up with it ><). Do you want to have our first call tomorrow at 8 p.m. maybe? If not, just tell me when is okay for you._

_Great song choice by the way!_

_Have a great day,_

ʸᵘᵗᵒ

He immediately went on Skype and added Yuto. Well, no. That’s a lie. He spent at least twenty minutes trying to remember his password. And only then he added Yutam0n who had a cute baby photo of himself set as a profile picture to his contacts. 

In the chat he wrote: _‘See(!!!!) you tomorrow at 8 p.m. I’m super excited!1!!1!!’_

Then closed all the tabs and finally went to bed. Though he was so anxious and excited he couldn’t even keep his eyes shut. _I will see and hear Yuto tomorrow,_ his heart started beating faster. _What should I wear? I need to wash my hair and brush my teeth before the call. Also the room needs cleaning and oh god pimples if you hear me please don’t ruin my face tomorrow. I really-really want Yuto to like me!_ With this chaotic thoughts he finally fell asleep. 

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

In the morning he woke up already feeling anxious. _Calm down, heart, will you? It’s just Yuto. You know him. He knows you. It’s no biggie._ Wooseok tried to convince himself but in vain. 

He dressed, had his breakfast — everyone noticed he was unusually quiet — and went to school. 

‘Jung Wooseok, what can you tell us about the meaning of the weather in this particular scene?’ 

Wooseok didn’t hear he was being asked something. He continued looking out of the window thinking about how not to embarrass himself in front of Yuto.

‘Jung. Wooseok. Would you please answer my question?’ Mrs. Kang was growing impatient. 

Someone coughed near him and he finally snapped out of his trance:

‘What?’ He immediately stood up. ‘Ehm, I’m sorry.’ 

‘Now that we finally have your full attention will you tell us about the meaning of the weather in this scene?’ 

‘Oh, ehm, yes, of course. In this episode the main character is hesitating, he is not sure what decision he should make. And the weather reflects that. It’s gloomy, the wind is cold and is rustling through the trees. So we, as readers, can understand the feelings of the protagonist better and sympathise with him.’ _More than we would want to,_ he bitterly thought. 

‘Good. Sit down. Please pay attention to the lesson from now on,’ Mrs Kang said and turned to the blackboard. 

The day went by, but no matter what Wooseok could not help but feel his heart beat faster every time he was thinking about the call. 

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

At home he silently ate lunch and went to his room. 

‘Go talk to him, Sojin’ Mrs Jung told his sister.

‘Why, mum?! He is not a five-year-old,’ she protested.

‘He is clearly struggling with something and I doubt he’ll tell me. Please, he is your brother after all.’

‘Okay-okay, fine.’ Sojin stood up and went upstairs. In front of Wooseok’s room she took a deep breath and threw open the door.

‘Hey, little bro, what’s up?! You look as if you had a bunch of lemons for lunch. Mum is worried,’ she plumped herself next to Wooseok on the bed and started tickling him. 

‘Hey! Hey! Stop!’ He was trying to avoid her hands. ‘You can tell her it’s nothing.’

Suddenly she stopped and said seriously:

‘No, for real, what’s wrong? Do you have problems at school?’

‘No-o,’ he looked her in the eyes.

‘Do you have problems with health?’

‘No-o.’

‘Is it related to someone else?’ 

‘…No-o,’ for a mere second he broke the eye contact.

‘Got it! Who is it? A girl? A boy?’ She smirked. 

‘Ugh, it’s nothing. Just a friend,’ he blushed and covered his face with a pillow.

‘Well, tell me — wassup? They don’t want to hang out? Are they being toxic? Do I need to fight someone?’ She sounded serious.

‘No. No,’ he immediately perked up. ‘Yuto is great! He-he is my penfriend and today we are going to have a video call for the first time and…’ 

‘Ah, and that’s why you were acting as if someone died?!’ She playfully pushed him on the shoulder.

‘What? He is my first ever best friend! I don’t want to disappoint him!’

‘Well, if he stuck around you for this long it means the boy has low standards so don’t worry,’ she laughed.

‘Really? Am I **that** pathetic?’ He asked in a tiny voice.

‘Of course I’m just joking! Hey, don’t take it seriously, Seokie,’ Sojin hugged him. ‘You are a great person and I’m pretty sure Yuto thinks the same way. If you became such good friends without even properly seeing or hearing each other it means that your friendship goes far beyond looks or acting or something like this. It’ll be fine — believe your older sis,’ she ruffled his hair and then added:

‘Now tell me — is he hot?’ She wiggled her brows smiling.

‘What?! Don’t you dare! He’s mine!’ Wooseok looked like an adorable duck ready to fight. 

‘Okay-okay, wow, chill, Don Juan. He is yours okay. But are you planning to get yourself a man looking like _that_?’ She pointed at his home t-shirt and sweatpants. 

‘Well,’ he looked away. ‘I wanted to dress up a bit before the call but I have no idea what to wear.’

‘Thank heavens that you have me. Let me make a whole snack out of you!’ She stood up from the bed and marched to his wardrobe. 

‘Can it be something black though?’ He asked quietly. ‘Yuto’s favourite colour is black,’ he added barely audible.

‘What? What are you mumbling there? You cannot wear black. Period. Wear this,’ she handed him his favourite red hoodie. 

Wooseok clearly did not expect that. 

‘Seriously?’ 

Sojin shrugged:

‘Yeah, why not. It’s your lucky colour, your fav hoodie and you look cute and hot in it. Like a flamin hot cheeto,’ she giggled.

‘Emm, okay. Sure,’ he looked at it one more time to check if there were any stains or creases. 

‘Also wear your earrings. That’d be hot too. You can seductively touch them or I don’t know — get creative.’

He felt his face heat up:

‘What?! This is our first official meeting! And he is just my friend! And-‘

‘Yeah-yeah, I get it. Okay, don’t stress out too much, will ya? If anything, you can always come cry on my shoulder,’ she patted him on the back and left. 

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

_What time is it? 7.30 p.m. Okay. Okay. Thirty more minutes,_ Wooseok was pacing back and forth in his room, frantically looking at the clock every five or so minutes. He washed his hair, even styled it a bit aka didn’t comb it properly; he changed three times at this point but Sojin’s variant had proven to be the best one; he decided to wear an earring but just one so if he sees that Yuto didn’t like it — he could cover it with his hand or hair. _Why wouldn’t he like it though? He has earrings too!_

A sudden knock on the door almost gave him a heart attack. 

‘Can I come in or are you with you _friend_?’ Sojin’s voice could be heard muffled by the door.

‘Yes, come in.’

‘Nervous?’ She asked with a smile, stepping into the room.

‘Kinda,’ Wooseok shrugged.

‘Oh. My. God. Did Jung Wooseok, my younger brother, actually cleaned his room?!’ The girl was genuinely surprised.

Wooseok bit his lip and looked away shyly.

‘I haven’t seen that guy but I already love him,’ she theatrically clutched her heart. ‘If you’ll clean the house and wash yourself for him — I want Yuto to move in with us.’

‘Would you mind though?’ He suddenly asked.

‘What do you mean?’ Sojin looked him in the eyes.

‘We haven’t discussed it yet and I haven’t had the talk with our parents yet but in theory…would you mind if I maybe asked Yuto to come to our house during holidays?’ 

‘Oh. I…I actually don’t know,’ she looked around the room, trying to avoid looking at Wooseok. ‘Plus it’s not my decision to make, you know? But if you really want this, I can be on your side when persuading mum and dad,’ she smiled.

‘Really?!’ Wooseok kind of came to terms with the idea of her being against it. ‘Wow, I never knew I would say this but I love you, Sojin!’ He started jumping like a happy five-year-old and hugged her.

‘Now that’s gross,’ she pretended to be disgusted. ‘But it’s good to see that you finally have a friend,’ she patted him on the back.

‘You make it sound as if I were a total loser,’ he pouted. 

‘Well, I guess it’s up to Yuto to decide!’ Suddenly bubbly Skype sounds could be heard coming from the computer. ‘He here comes!’ She hugged Wooseok who was freaking out one more time and before leaving said:

‘Fighting.’


	7. Comisado - Panic! At The Disco

When Sojin left, Wooseok started freaking out even more. Skype noises themselves were anxiety inducing but coupled with Yuto’s baby picture pulsating in the middle of the screen — Wooseok was ready to jump out of the window. Finally, he took a deep breath and clicked on the green button to accept the call. Camera should be working fine as well as the mic (he checked. ten times).

After the connection was established he for the first time ever saw Yuto’s face. Moving. And the boy was freaking out too.

‘I-I am so sorry, Wooseok-ah. I-I know it’s not eight yet but I was checking the settings and I think I accidentally clicked «call» and I wanted to end it immediately but then thought that I’d have to call again in ten minutes and that would have been awkward so-so-‘

Wooseok was speechless. _Yuto_. That was the only thing on his mind. He was real. He was talking, he had the deepest, coolest voice Wooseok had ever heard and in that coolest deepest voice he just called him ‘Wooseok-ah’. They could have ended the call right then and there and Wooseok would have been happy for the rest of his life. He then realised that he needed to say something asap because Yuto was probably thinking that the connection was bad and his image froze.

‘Hi, Yuto-yah!’ He couldn’t help but smile. ‘I’m glad you called because I just told my sister I loved her and I never tell her that so yeah,’ he awkwardly scratched his head.

Yuto visibly relaxed. He too took a deep breath and looked at Wooseok for a while, studying him. 

‘Wow,’ they said in unison. And then laughed. 

‘You go first,’ Wooseok waved his head encouraging Yuto to keep talking. 

‘Ehm, it’s nice to see you moving, I guess. Nice to meet you,’ he smiled.

‘My thoughts exactly! Nice to meet you too.’ 

There was an awkward pause until they both laughed at how awkward they were. 

‘How about we watch a movie together?’ Out of nowhere suggested Wooseok.

‘Together? How?’ Yuto was puzzled. 

‘Let’s pick a film, then after we both find it — we’ll press «play» at the same time?’

Yuto thought for a second, then nodded:

‘Sounds like a plan!’

They chose to watch «I Origins» because it was another wordplay related to eyes. Yuto laughed adorably trying to pronounce aiSOCKetz with all the caps and «cool» z’s. 

They were mostly pausing rather than watching because they were constantly making jokes or comments and then laughing at them for some time. Talking to Yuto felt so natural, so easy, Wooseok couldn’t believe he was freaking out about it several hours prior. When the credits rolled both of them were sleepy but very-very happy. They came up with so many inside jokes, they both even teared up a bit in the middle of the movie. 

‘Thank you so much, Yuto-yah!’

‘Thank you, Seokie. It was you who suggested we start Skyping!’ 

‘Do you want to have another call some time soon?’ Wooseok asked hesitantly, praying to all the Gods for the boy to say «yes».

‘Of course! Any time,’ he smiled warmly. 

‘Okay then.’

‘Good night,’ they synchronised again and laughed.

‘You end the call,’ Wooseok said.

‘No, you. I called you!’ Yuto pouted protestingly. Wooseok’s heart shattered for the billions time that night. How can someone be this perfect, this cute, kind, wholesome and pure?

‘Together?’ He asked fondly.

‘Yup.’

‘One…’

‘Two…’

‘Three…’

*the call has ended*

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

And so they started video calling each other almost daily. They talked about everything and nothing in particular. Sometimes they would sit in silence each doing homework and that would be enough. The mere presence of one another was enough for both of them to feel content and happy. Wooseok found an old laptop somewhere in his parents’ room and he could now show Yuto the room properly and also chat with him whilst lying on the bed which was ten times more comfortable than sitting in front of the pc all day long. They also continued their letter exchange. It mostly turned into tooth-rotting fluffy messages of how grateful they were to have found each other, cat pics and memes. The never-ending stream of memes. Until one day this letter appeared in Wooseok’s inbox: 

_To: aiSOCKetz  
From: YOU2_

_Hi._

_You probably won’t receive this until morning so I hope you are sleeping soundly right now. I really do._

_Why is life so hard? Sometimes I want to become a flower or a butterfly. That way I would enjoy my time on this planet and then dissolve into nothingness without the need to worry about what I’m leaving behind or what others might think about me and my accomplishments. I would be just Yuto the flower that made a few people or bees happy and nothing more. You know that I’m a good student, right? Straight As and almost zero effort applied. I can sense envy radiating from my classmates when I get another good mark without a second thought. They think I’m privileged, that I have nothing to worry about. But I’m so anxious all the time. The bar is set so high that everyday I am afraid not to live up to the expectations. I have no idea how to study properly, I don’t understand what others do. I’m so scared. What if I turn out to be not good enough? What if I lose the status of a «gifted kid»? I’ll end up with nothing but despise from everyone around me because from there on it’s all downhill. You know what is the worst part? No-one set this bar for me, I did it myself. My parents don’t care much about grades, they just want me to enjoy school life and learn something new. But it’s hard to do since teachers start to ignore me after a while because «you know this already» or «give your peers a chance to understand what you’ve already done». So I go to school and sit there doing literally nothing. My classmates’ opinions should not matter to me because everyone should mind their own business but it doesn’t help. Wooseokie, what do I do? How do I know if I’m worth anything? Sorry if I’m writing none-sense and bothering you with this but these thoughts are eating me inside, I cannot sleep. If this is too much, please, ignore the entire letter and let’s pretend it never happened, okay? I wish I didn’t care but I do. I wish I was a beautiful flower in your room to make you smile and happy instead of making you read this. I’m so grateful for you, Wooseok. I want to hug you so badly. I’ll end the letter here — it’s becoming hard to type because of the tears dimming my eyes._

_Wooseokie, sleep tight._

ʸᵘᵗᵒ


	8. I Love You - Celine Dion

An alarm went off and with a groan Wooseok opened his eye. First thing he saw was the grey sky, the day promised to be gloomy and oppressive. Then Jung wanted to snooze the annoying piece of electronics and his eye landed on the time. 8.30 a.m. He overslept! How?! When?! Why?! 

Panicking he ran into the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth. Almost in a heart beat he changed into his uniform, grabbed a bag and left the house. 

_Awesome,_ he thought running through the streets. _I didn’t even have the time to read Yuto’s letter. I already hate this day._ He didn’t know why but throughout the day he had an uneasy feeling, weird thoughts were flooding his mind and he couldn’t figure out why. When he finally got home, turned on the pc and read the letter — everything suddenly became clear. 

The second Wooseok finished reading the last line he started typing his answer.

_To: YOU2  
From: aiSOCKetz_

_Yuto, Yuto-yah, Yu,_

_I have never regretted not being with you more than I do now. I understand how little my words can change and I just want to be there by your side, to hold you tight, to turn on some soothing music, to bring you cacao or whatever you want, to sit there in silence, to help you breath and most importantly to wipe your tears and take away your pain._

_You are enough the way you are. This will never change. You being you either with good grades or bad — is the most important thing. When I found your profile I immediately wanted to impress you because you were everything I could wish for in a person and never have I ever thought «this dude must be a straight A student», if anything right now I’m wishing for you to turn out to be not straight. Yes, here I said it. I like you, Yuto-yah. Maybe now is not the time to confess but I want you to know that you matter to me like no-one else does. Grades do have value but only in school. The second you leave it — no-one will ask whether you had As or Bs in Maths. What’s important is for you to be a good person and, believe me, in this department you are definitely not lacking. I know these are just words and I’m not the one to judge or anything. But, YuYu, to me your grades mean nothing. Actually, I got a bad mark in Korean today hehe can you tutor me? pleeeeeease? I’ll behave and study as a good student that I am XD_

_Oh you know what? Today was the worst! (no, I’m not being overly dramatic! I can see you rolling eyes from here. Stop it.) I woke up late(!) and had to run to school and I didn’t have breakfast and stupid gate keeper closed the gates right in front of my face! So I had to do some parkour and…I fell on my butt. It hurts. I don’t know what was scarred more: my butt or my dignity. I can never turn up to school again now. Wait — I’ll quickly transfer to Japan. Can I live on your porch? I can sleep with Mont Blanc ^-^_

_Please don’t feel sorry or ashamed for sharing with me. I’m grateful that you trust me enough to share something this personal. You are not alone and you were very strong when you decided to talk to me about it. When I said that I like you I…meant it. I hope you don’t think that I’m taking advantage of your situation but I feel like if I don’t say it now I will never have the courage to say it again._

_Okay, mum is calling. I’ll go now. Say hello to your pets for me!_

_I’ll be waiting for your reply._

_Your butt-hurting,_

_aiSOCKetz_

_Now playing: Celine Dion - I Love You_

_P.S. Skype today at 8 p.m.?_ 🥺

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

At around 7 p.m. Wooseok grew more and more anxious. Will Yuto call? If yes, what will he say? What will he himself say? What if Yuto doesn’t call? Should he call him then? At this point they had a ritual of some sort: Yuto is always the one to call and at the end they hung up at the same time. That day everything could be different. 

To tell the truth, the moment Wooseok sent his last letter he started mentally preparing himself for the fact that Yuto would never reply to him, that he would end their friendship right then and there because Wooseok crossed the line, he had gone too far — they were just penfriends united by the mutual goal — improving language skills. 

He was so caught up in all these thoughts that the moment he heard the familiar bubbly sounds coming from his laptop he almost had a heart attack. Quickly getting up from the bed he got to the table, took a deep breath and clicked on the green button. 

After a short pause he saw Yuto’s low quality image on the screen. He was wearing all black (as always) but his face bared that look full of tiredness? He had dark circles around his eyes and those eyes lacked the sparkle Wooseok always noticed when they were talking. 

‘Hi,’ barely audible said Yuto.

Wooseok transferred the laptop to the bed and replied:

‘Hello. How are you?’ He sounded hurt because it was torture to see his favourite person upset but not being able to do anything about it.

‘I-Better,’ Yuto tried putting a smile on his face but it just didn’t work like that.

‘Yu, everything I’ve said in that letter — I meant it. You are enough as you are. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone. Heck, we only live once — you should enjoy this life. I’m sorry I failed to make it better for you,’ he looked out of the window, trying not to cry. 

‘What? No!’ Yuto responded quickly. ‘You did so much, Seokie! I am the luckiest person to have you in my life. Just the thought that I’m not alone, that you exist and are always there for me makes me so grateful. But then I think that someone like you doesn’t deserve someone like me…’ it was Yuto’s turn to fight the tears as he felt his throat tightening with each word. 

‘Are you serious now?! Me not deserving _you_?! It’s exactly the opposite! You are too good for me!’ Wooseok protested.

‘No. You!’

‘You!’

‘YOU!’

‘YOU!’

‘ME! If you two don’t stop shouting this instant I’m kicking both of your asses!’ Sojin’s angry voice could be heard from another room. 

They looked at each other and burst out laughing. 

‘We are ridiculous,’ said Yuto still laughing. 

‘I’m actually crying right now,’ Wooseok tried wiping the tears running down his cheeks with a sleeve. 

‘Same.’

Suddenly Wooseok stopped and said:

‘I want to hug you. Now.’

Yuto looked hurt.

‘Seokie, you can’t even imagine how badly I wanna be with you right now.’

That instant Wooseok started crying for real. He covered his face with his hands unable to look at the camera.

‘Yu, I’m so bad, I’m so se-selfish. I want to hug you but not like a friend, I want to kiss you too. I-I-I…Please don’t leave me, please don’t hate me. These feelings they won’t affect our friendship-‘

‘Woo,’ Yuto started softly. ‘Look at me.’

Wooseok vigorously shook his head, still unwilling to see Yuto’s face. Plus hot tears were making it hard to concentre on things.

‘Why do you think your feelings aren’t mutual?’ He asked quietly. 

‘Be-because how can they be? You deserve someone…someone that is not me,’ Wooseok sniffed. 

‘Why do you think I…once talked to you about sexuality?’ Yuto’s voice was barely audible now.

‘What?’ Wooseok stopped crying for a second and looked at the monitor. 

Yuto was blushing heavily, he decided that the best strategy would be to treat Wooseok like an eclipse and simply not look at him.

‘I asked if it’s okay for one boy to have feeling for another boy because…because,’ he couldn’t bring himself to say that even though he practiced the line a million times in front of the mirror. ‘Because I like you,’ now it was his turn to cover his burning face.

Wooseok started crying even louder:

‘YuYu, now I want to be with you even mo-o-o-ore.’ 

Yuto chuckled:

‘You are adorable, Wooseok-ah, have I told you that?’ 

‘No. Say it again,’ he sniffed. ‘Please.’

They talked for several more hours, showering each other in silly compliments and promises of all the things they’ll do together when they finally meet. 

Because of the crying Wooseok got very tired and couldn’t keep his eyes open.

‘Seok-ah, go to bed,’ Yuto said softly.

‘No-o, I wanna stay longer,’ protested Wooseok yawning. 

‘But you clearly want to sleep,’ the boy smiled.

‘I choose you over sleep.’

‘I’m not going anywhere, you know that? We can talk tomorrow.’

‘I want now. Yu, tell me a story and then I’ll sleep,’ Wooseok smiled slyly. 

‘Hmm, okay,’ surprisingly but Yuto agreed. ‘But you have to actually get in bed and all that.’

‘Give me a minute,’ the younger practically bolted from his bed to the bathroom to brush his teeth and change into pyjamas.


	9. The Story - Brandi Carlile

Once under the covers he put the laptop onto his lap and prepared to listen. Yuto smiled and after making sure Wooseok kept his eyes shut he started telling the story.

‘When I was a young boy, my father-‘

‘Took you into the city?’ Wooseok murmured and smiled. Eyes still closed. 

‘Wooseok-ah, one more my chemical romance reference noone asked for and I’m ending this call now,’ Yuto tried to sound serious but he couldn’t help but laugh at the joke.

‘Okay-okay, go on.’

‘So my father once told me this story. He said it was based on actual events and that his dad told him that story.

‘His grandfather, my grand-grandfather, used to have a small shop and in there on the window sill was a small cactus in an ugly pot. At first the cactus was beautiful and fresh, its colour was vivid and it was a pleasure to look at it. However, years went by and the cactus wasn’t as healthy-looking as before: some parts became yellowish-brown, it shrunk in size and everyone who entered the store would say: ‘I think your cactus is dead. You better get rid of it before it rots.’ But grand-grandfather never listened to them, he continued to water it, to expose it to sun, to talk to it and most importantly to cherish it. His business wasn’t doing well, he almost went bankrupt but he never gave up. He had his cactus and the cactus had him-‘

‘Will the cactus die?’ Wooseok suddenly whispered.

‘We’ll see,’ Yuto said softly and continued. ‘Grand-grandfather was alone, his parents died and his brothers and sisters left him but he held no grudges, he understood that the times were bad and that people were making decisions they sometimes didn’t want to make. Everyday he would talk to the cactus, thank it for keeping him company, for being strong and for giving him strength. He told it he loved it like a family member, like a dear friend. People would see him do that and say that he was crazy, that the cactus was long dead as well as his business and sanity. But grand-grandfather didn’t listen to them. And then one day, many-many years after he’d gotten the plant, he woke up and saw a new set of spines growing on top of the cactus. After all, the cactus was alive. Grand-grandfather was so happy but not because he’d proven all those people wrong but because his dear friend was so strong, that it was willing to fight no matter what. Days went by and the economy got better and his business was doing well again, he had a lot of new customers. They’d come, look at the beautiful cactus on the window sill and say: ‘Such a nice cactus you have!’ And he would smile and be proud of it. When the cactus died many-many years after, when my grand-grandfather was an old man, he thanked it for teaching him strength and for being by his side throughout his whole life. Since those times it’s a tradition in our family — to have at least one cactus in the house,’ Yuto finished looking fondly at something behind the camera. When he looked at the screen he saw that Wooseok was sleeping soundly. He looked so relaxed, so unprotected that Yuto had the urge to hide him from all the evil in the world. 

‘Good night, Wooseok-ah,’ he whispered. And as he was about to end the call he saw the door open in Wooseok’s room and a female silhouette appear in the doorframe. _That must be Sojin,_ he thought. She quietly came closer to the bed and gently removed the laptop from her brother’s bed. She then exited the room and once in the hallway said with a smile:

‘You must be Yuto.’

‘Yes! Nice to meet you, Sojin noona!’ He hurriedly bowed to the camera.

‘I don’t usually come to his room but I heard him cry so I decided to check if everything was okay.’

Yuto blushed, he then said in an apologetic tone:

‘Yes, I’m sorry I made him cry but we resolved everything and I was telling him a story but he fell asleep before I could finish it.’

‘I’m glad he found you. Whatever your relationship is, friends or more,’ she smirked, ‘I’m happy for both of you.’

‘Ehm, before I go…’ Yuto started. ‘It’s Wooseok’s birthday soon and I wanted to surprise him,’ he scratched his head. ‘I want to come to Korea for a few days. Of course I’ll be living in a hotel, don’t worry, it’d my birthday present from my parents. But can you please tell me where you live so I could find something close to your house?’

‘What?’ Soojin looked genuinely shocked.

‘I’m sorry. Was that too much?’ Yuto was terrified.

‘You think Wooseok or me or our parents will allow you to sleep in a hotel?! You are staying with us, that’s out of the question. Give me your Kakaotalk or LINE — I’ll send you the address and all and you can tell me your flight details so that I know when to pick you up from the airport,’ she saw that he was about to say something and added:

‘If you start talking about the hotel or taxi right now I’ll end this call and never talk to you again,’ she smiled pleased with herself after Yuto immediately shut his mouth. ‘Good, talk to you later, Yuto-yah. Good night.’


	10. Arms - Christina Perri

Together they stepped into the new year. It felt surreal: a bit longer and they would have been friends for a whole year now (but it felt like decades). One of the perks of meeting someone on the internet is that you can always go back — to that very first awkward conversation, to that exciting feeling of a new door opening before you that comes with getting to know someone better. They celebrated Yuto’s birthday together. Well, they still haven’t met in person but Wooseok was skyping the birthday boy throughout the whole day and the bigger portion of the night. He wrote him a song and the biggest, the most heart-warming letter he could come up with, so Yuto teared up a few times while reading it. Wooseok even hugged the screen and kissed it in an attempt of hugging Yuto and kissing him on the cheek. But maybe he did something wrong after all because days went by and Yuto was being very quiet. 

He was constantly busy with something, always running somewhere. He also seemed to be hiding something from Wooseok and that hurt the most because throughout their whole relationship they told each other everything. _He doesn’t like me after all,_ Wooseok would think to himself. _Maybe I was too clingy, too annoying. Maybe I should have been talking less about myself and ask him more about what he feels? He probably regrets getting involved with me but he doesn’t know how to get out because he is too polite._ These thoughts were keeping him awake at night. Until his birthday came. Was he anticipating it? Not really. Not if Yuto was on the brim of breaking up with him. _Will he do it today? No. Never. Yuto is not like that. Shut up, brain!_

Wooseok was so exhausted that he decided to sleep late on his special day, thankfully it was Saturday. 

‘WOOSEOKIE! COME DOWN! PLEASE’ His mother shouted from the first floor. 

‘YEAH! BEANSTALK! COME HERE!’ Soojin never cutting him slack. Though she obviously loved him.

‘SOJIN! LANGUAGE!’

‘WHAT? MUM, HE IS A BEANSTALK. YOU BIRTHED HIM! YOU SHOULD KNOW!’

He chuckled and then with a groan, not bothering to brush his hair when down the stairs. He expected dad, mum and Sojin to meet him in the kitchen with a cake; mum would probably hug him, dad smile at him and Sojin complain that he took too long and she wanted to start eating. But something felt off. When he got to the kitchen they were all standing in a line together as if covering something. They smiled and greeted him and then Sojin said:

‘Yo, brother, it’s your special day and blah-blah-blah. Here is your gift.’

They stepped to the side and there stood…Yuto with a cake in his hands, smiling at him. 

‘Hi,’ he said in his tiny but deep voice. 

Wooseok looked at him without blinking for at least thirty seconds. The pause was getting awkward so Sojin fake coughed and Wooseok was pulled out of his trance. Then at the speed of light he bolted to his room upstairs.

Everyone was speechless. Yuto carefully placed the cake on the table behind him because his hands started shaking. Was it a mistake? Wooseok didn’t want to see him after all? When was the next flight back to Japan?

‘That moron,’ Sojin was pissed. ‘Yuto,’ she commanded, ‘go with me,’ she grabbed his hand and pulled him up the stairs. Once in front of the door she started loudly banging on it knowing that Wooseok’d locked it.

‘Listen, kid. Yuto did not make this long ass trip all the way here, for you to hide from him and cry as a five-year-old. You open this door this instant or I’m taking this sweet boy and he’ll be **my** best friend and he’ll make a birthday cake for **me** and he’ll love **me** to death and-‘

Suddenly the door opened a bit and Wooseok asked in a tiny voice:

‘You made a cake for me?’

Before Yuto could process what was going on Sojin threw the door open and shoved him into the room. She then closed the door and blocked it with a broom. ‘Now, love birds, you resolve your sexual tension or whatever and I’m going downstairs and eating the cake. Once I come back you should be ready for the day. Got it?!’

After noone answered she repeated louder:

‘I ASKED GOT IT?’

‘Yes,’ they immediately said in unison.

‘Good.’

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

And there they were: Wooseok half naked, trying to pull on a t-shirt, and Yuto confused about everything. When he finally came back to his senses he looked like the saddest puppy ever.

‘I’m so sorry, Wooseokie, I shouldn’t have come,’ he said, his voice tight.

The younger suddenly realised how it all must had looked from Yuto’s side and immediately ran to him embracing Yuto in the tightest hug.

‘No! Yuto-yah, you…You…Shit. I thought you were going to dump me soon so I wasn’t feeling great these past days. And I didn’t look forward to by birthday and then I come downstairs and you are there and I’m looking like a gremlin, in my pyjamas, with unbrushed hair and I got so surprised and scared that you’d see me like that and also I was relieved that maybe you weren’t going to break up with me so I was about to ugly cry right then and there and so I ran. I wanted to change and have a small mental breakdown and to freak out a bit because you are real and you are here and I didn’t even think that I might scare you. Oh my god, Yuto I am so happy to see you-‘

‘Khm, Wooseok-aaah, I’m glad it was a misunderstanding but if you continue hugging me this tight you might break some of my ribs,’ Yuto interrupted him laughing.

‘Oh, sorry,’ Wooseok blushed and immediately let go. 

‘Don’t do that anymore, please,’ Yuto looked him in the eyes. ‘I was so scared — I thought you didn’t want to see me.’

‘WHAT?! How could you even think about that?! I thought you were going to break up with me because we weren’t talking as much,’ Wooseok was waving his hands in the air.

‘WHAT? I thought **you** hated me!’ Protested Yuto.

‘No, YOU!’

‘YOU!’

‘YOU!’

‘ME! I hate you both. God, what are you two so loud for!’ Sojin opened the door. ‘Are you done? Can we all go to the kitchen and have proper breakfast now?’

‘Yes, m’am,’ they matched out of the room like the two kids they were.

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

Yuto came for two days and they intended to make the best out of them. On Saturday they walked around the city, went to Wooseok’s favourite cafes and little places. They stayed the entire night talking and rewatching «I Origins» because they were both sappy and wanted to re-live the experience. They cuddled and never let go of each other’s hands.

After breakfast on Sunday morning Mr. Jung took the milk couple, as Sojin decided to call them, to the beach. Yuto’s flight was in the evening so they had plenty of time left.

‘You have fun, boys, mum made you some food. If it gets too cold or you want to go home just give me a call and I’ll fetch you,’ he said before driving back home.

They ran to the sea. It was a chilly day but they were so happy to see each other that they cold didn’t bother them anyway ;-)

After playing «sandballs» and talking-talking-laughing and talking again they laid out a blanket and took out the food. They then sat as close to each other as possible and wrapped themselves in one blanket. 

Watching the waves crash against the shore Wooseok suddenly said:

‘My entire life I wanted to come here with the person that would mean the world to me. Years went by and I was alone. Of course I have friends, I do, and I’m thankful for them but to them I’m «one of the friends», I’m their second choice, their back up plan. And I wanted to show this spot to the one and only. Sometimes at night I would lie in bed, look at the sky through the window and fantasise about that moment. But none of those fantasises were like what I have now. The reality is so much better. You appeared in my life and filled it with meaning. Now I want to go somewhere, do something and then tell you about it. I want to find something new for you, I want to get better for you. Thank you, Yuto. I mean it. I really do.’ 

When Yuto wasn’t saying anything I response Wooseok turned his head to the side and saw that Yuto was silently crying.

‘Yu, what happened?’ Wooseok asked worryingly. 

Yuto wrapped his hands around the younger and burring his face in the crook of Wooseok’s neck started crying even more. 

Jung was startled but he immediately hugged Yuto back and hold him tight.

‘It’s okay, Yuyu,’ he whispered and caressed his back. ‘I didn’t mean to make you cry. I’m just so thankful to the universe for allowing us find each other.’

When Yuto calmed down a bit and stopped crying he moved away and gently cupping Wooseok face kissed him. 

It was the first one for both of them. Their lips were cold and the kiss tasted a bit salty because of Yuto’s tears but it didn’t matter. Nothing did. When they parted Yuto whispered:

‘You are the most important thing to me now. The most important thing to me ever.’

Wooseok was speechless, he was so dumbfounded that it took him a while before he was able to respond:

‘ADACHI. YUTO. DID YOU JUST QUOTE TWILIGHT RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY SALAD?!’ 

Yuto was cry laughing:

‘Sorry, sorry,’ he was barely able to speak. ‘I couldn’t resist.’ 

They started playfully fighting, shoving handfuls of sand into each other. In several hours Mr. Jung picked them up and drove back home. There they all had dinner and Yuto had to say his goodbyes to Mrs. Jung and Soojin. The girl teared up a little and hugged him tight. 

Everything else was a blur to Wooseok. They drove to the airport. They helped Yuto with the check-in and then they had to let go off of each other. They cried. A lot. They hugged and, when they thought Mr. Jung wasn’t looking, kissed. 

Yuto had to go. He shook hands with Wooseok’s dad, hugged Wooseok one last time and whispered in his ear:

‘Happy Birthday, Seok-ah.’

And then he was gone.


	11. Postcards - James Blunt

Days went by, they were exchanging letters again, they Skyped each other almost daily and all was back to normal. Although it wasn’t. The house seemed emptier without Yuto. Wooseok’s bed too big and cold. Familiar streets and places were not the same without Yuto walking beside him. 

One day he woke up and heard Sojin shouting from the kitchen:

‘BEANSTALK, GET YOUR ASS HERE!’ 

With a groan he stood up and walked downstairs. He saw his sister holding something, a piece of paper? 

‘Finally, Sleeping Beauty! Here,’ she handed him whatever she was holding. It turned out to be an envelope. He looked at the sender’s name and his heart skipped a beat.

_From: YOU2  
To: aiSOCKetz_

Inside was a single piece of paper that read:

_Certificate of Admission_

_Dear Adachi Yuto_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted as a student at the Korea National University of Arts…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for reading this till the end. 
> 
> This work had its ups and downs and I hope you can look past all the mistakes and inconsistencies it has. I'll try to fix them as soon as possible. 
> 
> Please take good care of yourself.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading!
> 
> we can be twitter pals (@awkward_d1)
> 
> have a great day~
> 
> Your socially_awkward_di (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧


End file.
